Shelfari is one of my new favorite websites! It is like facebook for book lovers.
I have already used this website with my AP literature students as a way to share feedback about the classic books that they are reading on their own. I found that the students were constantly asking me which books were good, what certain books were about, and what they should read. I thought, what better way than for the students to use each other as resources rather than just me. Each student creates a profile; that profile has a shelf. Students can put books on their shelf and assign them to one of three different categories: "read," "reading now," and "want to read." There are a number of things students can do on this website. I have had students write their own book reviews, using literary terms we discussed in class. Similarly to facebook, groups can be created. I created a group for our class and post discussion forums to which the students are required to respond. I found that students were enjoying this so much that they were commenting on each other's posts on their own!
I created an account earlier this school year and then required my students to do the same. I really enjoy this website and find great value in what it adds to my literature classes. The students had a great time creating their profiles. The website has a lot to offer and is easy to navigate. Another nice feature is that it is linked to Amazon.com so if books are purchased from there, they are automatically added to the profile's shelf. Another great feature is that the groups are categorized according to topics and interests, so I joined some Educator groups and learned about new things to try in my classroom and new resources and books to read.
Shelfari